Almighty Coach

Chapter 616: Half God

 

Dai Li had already tasted the sweetness of owning several stars.

Gathering a group of stars together eased the burden of a coach greatly. The skills of superstars were obviously top-class and they possessed a wealth of experience. Even without the guidance of a coach, they still knew how to play.

It did not matter if a player attacked by himself and the other four just watched. Dai Li did not think of that as a problem. That was how superstar basketball was played. It relied on the individual skills of the star players; it relied on the star players to create opportunities.

Since the “three giants” model emerged, there had been an ideology that became popular: As long as one of the three giants performed well, they could defeat a normal team; if two performed well, they could defeat a playoff team; if all three performed well, then they would be a championship team.

The NBA was currently more competitive, but the era was still led by stars. Every team was still fervently trying to build get their “three giants,””four giants” or even “five giants.”

When Dai Li learned that Lamar Vincent was bought out, his heart fluttered. To Dai Li, when it came to stars, the more he had, the better off the team was.

Vincent had been, without a doubt, a star when he was younger. He was six feet and six inches tall and played as both a shooting guard as well as a small forward. Most of the time, however, he played as a shooting guard. He had been selected to be included in the NBA All-Star Lineup eight times. During his peak, he contributed 27.6 points per game and he was regarded as one of the “Four Great Shooting Guards.”

Vincent might have been the shooting guard with the best physique. Back then, he was even touted as the “flying basketball player.” His nickname, “half man, half God,” proved his strength.

Now, Vincent was 38 years old. For a basketball player, he was definitely old. Players at this age could not “fly” anymore. Not only was he unable to fly, but his speed and agility had also become less impressive. His physical strength deteriorated as well. Some players even lost their accuracy when they got older.

When a player was 38 years old, one could say that the only thing that he had left was his experience.

Dai Li did not mind Vincent’s age. For him, it was simply a matter of using the age reduction card.

Now, there were only two months left in the regular season. Adding to that the two months of the playoff season, there were four months left of play. Dai Li only needed to provide Vincent with four months time. Based on the formula of the age reduction card, he could deduct nine years, That meant that he could return Vincent to his 29-year-old body.

29 years old. For a basketball player, it was his peak condition. Back then, Vincent had still been a superstar player touted as the “flying basketball player.”

…

Lamar Vincent did not even plan to go to Boston. He stayed quietly at the luxurious condo that he rented and waited for his agent to contact him about his next team.

Although he waited quietly, Vincent was tremendously anxious internally. He was already 38 years old. It was a miracle that he could still play. Compared to when he was younger, his ability and body had deteriorated drastically. He could no longer leap into the air like before. There was no way for him to continue fighting intense physical battles like back in the day. He could also hardly keep up with fast feet when playing defense.

He was a 38-year-old veteran who had been bought out in the middle of the season. It would not be easy to find a new home.

Based on NBA rules, after a player had been bought out in the regular season, there would be a 48 hours clarification period. During this time, other teams could directly claim his contract. If, after 48 hours, no one was willing to claim the contract, then the player had cleared the clarification period. The player would become a free agent, and he could sign with any team.

Vincent did not expect any team to claim his contract because his salary for the current season was three million dollars. The number was much higher than the minimum wage. Teams that wanted to claim him would have to have at least three million dollars worth of salary space. Otherwise, they would need to possess trade exceptions worth three million dollars.

Half the season had already passed. Teams that had salary space were mostly weak teams that could not make it into the playoffs. They needed to tank, so they would have no need for players like Vincent. Why would they waste three million dollars!?

Strong teams might need Vincent’s experience, but they did not have the needed salary space. In modern basketball, teams that did not spend a lot of money could not be that strong.

For Vincent, his best chance was to wait out the 48-hour clarification period before signing on a team for the minimum salary. After all, the minimum salary was not restrained by the salary cap.

Vincent did not know his market value. After all, he was a 38-year-old veteran. It was not exaggerating to say that no one coveted him.

I wonder if I can play any more basketball this season. Vincent sighed. His dream would be to join a team that had a chance to win the championship. If he were lucky, he could get himself a championship medal to make up for the regrets in his career. Even if he were to retire the following season, Vincent would have no regrets.

Of course, Vincent knew that it was highly unlikely for that to happen. Once half a season has passed, teams that had a chance of winning the championship were already synergized. They would not change their formation half-way through the season unless a player in a particular position was injured. That was the only way they would sign a new player.

A young team like the 76ers wouldn’t be bad. The team has the ability to make it to the playoffs; they could even go far into the playoffs. They might need my experience.

As Vincent mulled this over, his agent called.

“Do you have any good news? It hasn’t been 48 hours. Someone can’t have claimed my contract, right?” Vincent asked.

“Don’t joke around, why would any team willingly spend three million dollars now?” His agent’s tone changed and he continued, “However, a team is willing to provide you with a minimum salary after the clarification period.”

“Who?” Vincent asked immediately.

“The Los Angeles Clippers! Their general manager contacted me today,” his agent answered.

Vincent did not reply, thinking about this team.

If a team were to claim him, Vincent would have no choice. He could not decline. He would have to join any team that claimed him. If a team offered him a new contract, however, then Vincent could, of course, choose to reject the contract. Vincent thought about stalling.

There were things Vincent could not understand. Why would the Clippers choose him? The current lineup of the Clippers was complete. They had exceptional players in every position. No one was injured. The key was that the Clippers had several players who were from the same era that he was from. They were veterans who had a wealth of experience, so it was not something they lacked.

Experience was the only thing Vincent, a 38-year-old veteran, had left. As a team that did not lack experience, they had no reason to sign Vincent.

Finally, Vincent asked, “What kind of conditions did the Clippers ask for?”

“The manager of the Clippers told me that their head coach personally promised that he would give you a position on the bench,” his agent said.

“The bench, huh? That’s not bad.” Vincent was a little interested. As a player, although he was old, he did not want to become a mascot that cheered from the bench. He still wanted to play.

His agent then continued, “The head coach of the Clippers also said that, if you are willing, he will provide you with at least 20 minutes of game time every match.”

“At least 20 minutes?” Vincent was surprised. That was something he could not have expected. After all, he was 38 years old. He didn’t even get that much playing time on his previous team. It would also be difficult for his body to handle playing that long. Honestly, asking a 38-year-old man to play for over 20 minutes was quite cruel.

Vincent was a little hesitant and could not decide. He asked his agent, “What do you think?”

“I suggest you give it a try. The head coach of the Clippers, although he doesn’t have a basketball background, has a way with older players. He has already returned quite a number of older players to their prime. If you head to the Clippers, perhaps you might also return to your former condition,” his agent stated.

At that moment, Vincent suddenly thought about Karaby from the Clippers whom he had met a few months ago. Back then, he had congratulated Karaby for getting a second prime in his career. (See Chapter 604)

Now, Vincent was genuinely interested.

…

News of Vincent signing with the Clippers for the minimum salary spread. It did not cause any waves. After all, he was a 38-year-old veteran. Although he was famous, he was nearing his twilight. He could no longer create any waves.

Moreover, just before deadline day, several huge deals emerged from the league. They involved star players from several teams. They were deals that could change the playoff landscape, so it was natural that it attracted eyeballs. It also made Vincent’s arrival at the Clippers seem irrelevant.

Dai Li thought that he had obtained the last piece of the puzzle for the season. After deadline day, there would no longer be any trade deals. If teams wanted to strengthen themselves or to adjust their lineup, they could only search the market for free agents. The free agent market was always open. If there were any big fish left there, Dai Li would have taken them a long time ago.

Dai Li did not arrange for Vincent to be in the starting lineup. He did not plan to adjust the current starting lineup. This was not because Vincent lacked the ability to be a starter. Vincent, with a 29-year-old body, would be able to compete for the best shooting guard in the league. Naturally, he had more than enough strength to be a starter.

In Dai Li’s plan, however, Vincent was his best weapon on the bench. The game against the Warriors had exposed the weakness in the bench lineup. They lacked a strong point-getter.

On the bench lineup of the Clippers, although Osef was an well-rounded warrior, he was not a top-class offensive player. Karaby could shoot, rebound, and block, but he was also not a player that attacked the paint. As for the rookie, Kumar, he had great talent, but he was still too young. After another one or two years, he could be used as a key player.

As such, Dai Li needed a super scorer to become the final part of the bench. It would increase the firepower of the bench lineup for the Clippers.

Vincent was clearly the best choice.

The shooting guard position was created to score points. No team in the league would allow a player who couldn’t score points to become the shooting guard. The player would be a 3-D type player at worst. Vincent, who used to be a superstar, did not lack the ability to score. He was a player who excelled at all kinds of scoring methods.

More importantly, Vincent was a leader among the players. With him at the helm of the Clippers bench, he could definitely stabilize them. He was what the Clippers’ bench lacked.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that, with Vincent, the current Clippers’ bench might be stronger than the starting lineup of most teams.

…

After All-Star Weekend, Vincent reported to the Clippers. Although most of them were old friends, he still needed to find the quickest way to assimilate into the team.

On the second day that Vincent was on the team, he was given a training plan. This training plan was just a bit more specific, it was not as strange as he imagined.

The training felt the same. After a few days of training, Vincent did not feel his body improving significantly. His body remained the body of a 38-year-old. He did not return to his prime. Vincent began to doubt Dai Li.

Dai Li maintained his immovable disposition. He also acted very confidently. He had not yet used the age reduction card on Vincent, which was why Vincent’s body did not regain its youth.

It was now March. The first game of the month for the Clippers was a home game against a strong team from the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics. This would be the first game Vincent played in a Clippers jersey.

Before the game began, Dai Li used the age reduction card on Vincent and allowed him to return to his 29-year-old body.

The Celtics was a tactical team. The lineup of the Celtics was not weak either. Although they were not as scary as the Warriors, they still had a lot of all-star level players.

Teams like this, that had a lot of stars as well as a tactical system, were the teams that the Clippers wanted to avoid the most.

If they played superstar basketball, the current Clippers were absolutely the best in the NBA. If they played against teams with tactical systems, the Clippers could also defeat their opponents with the individual skills of their stars alone.

Teams that perfectly integrated their superstars with their tactical systems, however, gave the Clippers a headache.

Moreover, the Celtics had a vast talent pool. For the past two years, the Celtics could be regarded as the most successful run team in the NBA. Three years ago, they were still a team in the lottery area but, in the short span of three years, they signed big shot superstars and obtained several good players who were still in their prime. Their rookies also realized their potential. Now, the Celtics were an experienced and strong team that also had the energy of the younger generation. The makeup of the lineup could be regarded as perfect.

The game began. Both sides tested the waters until around the eighth minute, when they subbed on their bench players.

When there was only around a minute and a half left in the first quarter. Vincent was finally subbed on the court.

This was the first time Vincent represented the Clippers and he was against his “former team.”

Previously, Vincent had been traded to the Celtics as the bonus to a trade deal. The Celtics, however, had a lot of talent in the shooting guard and small forward positions, so they bought out Vincent. From this view, the Celtics could be regarded as Vincent’s former team.

The Celtics were at full capacity in the shooting guard and small forward positions. One could even say that the team was oozing shooting talent. The competition between players was fierce. Every player put in a lot of effort in every match in the hopes of gaining the trust of the head coach and becoming his favorite on the team.

Under such circumstances, t Vincent became viewed as a weakling among the Celtics player. H was regarded as the weak link on the court. Even if the coach did not say it, they would focus on attacking Vincent.

The head coach of the Celtics, Arnold, was not an idiot. He was one of the best master tacticians in the league. As such, the moment Vincent got on the court, Arnold made corresponding tactical arrangements. Whoever it was that faced Vincent would attack him without hesitation.

The Celtics were certain that Vincent’s old age would make him slower in defense and he would not be able to keep up in terms of footwork. That was the reason why they chose him as the point of breakthrough.

…

A young fellow stood in front of Vincent. He had been the third pick the previous year. He was only 20 years old. He was almost half the age of Vincent.

Vincent knew he could not underestimate the young man in front of him. In his rookie season, he performed like a mature player. He almost won the Rookie of the Season Award. In truth, his performance was definitely worthy of winning the award, his competitor had been too outstanding so he missed the opportunity to win that honor.

In the future, this young guy will definitely become a star in the league, Vincent thought.

At that moment, the young man received the ball. He faced Vincent and made a sudden quick move as he moved forward. He planned to get past Vincent with pure brute force.

Vincent immediately put all of his attention into defense. He knew his 38-year-old body. Whether it was speed, agility or footwork, he could not compare with 20-year-old. If the opponent wanted to force his way in with his body, he was out of ideas.

What Vincent did not expect was that he could follow the kid in front of him!

Vincent’s movements actually seemed more agile than the 20-year old kid.

Eh? I can catch up to him? No, I’m faster than him! Is it because he’s slow? Vincent thought.

The young man also thought it was odd. Although he was an explosive player, he was still quite confident in his physical ability, at least he should not be slower than a 38-year-old man.

Continuous changes of direction did not shake off Vincent. This frustrated the kid, so he chose to directly breakthrough and attack the basket. This sort of breakthrough layup was one of his best scoring methods.

He was six feet and three inches tall with a six-foot wingspan. A body like that could be said to be perfect for basketball. Added to this were an excellent physique and exceptional techniques. His breakthrough usually ended with points gained through slam dunks.

That day, however, Vincent’s defense was ridiculous. He did not get any space to make a slam dunk, so he could only do a layup.

The ball was thrown towards the basket and floated to the highest point. As the ball reached the highest point, a large palm appeared and slammed into the basketball.

Blocked! He reached it at that height! The youth thought. After he landed on the ground, he belatedly found out that the player who had blocked him was Vincent.

Can he jump that high?! The young fellow sucked in a breath of cold air.

At the same time, the big screen in the stadium replayed the scene. It showed Vincent jumping high in the air and slamming the ball with his palm. He almost reached the top of the basket.

“Oh…” The audience in the stadium made a noise in anticipation, which was followed by a loud cheer.

“Oh my God. That’s Vincent. He can jump so high!”

“Jumping so high that and he’s 38 years old. Vincent is giving us his all today!”

“I think Vincent shouldn’t play like this. He’s already very old now. When he jumps that high, he could easily get injured.”

Fans started giving their opinions and discussing. As for Vincent, he had a very strange feeling.

He had jumped so high just now. He did not feel strained. That was why Vincent thought it was weird. Ten years ago, that height just now had been a piece of cake to him. He could easily make it. Currently, Vincent could never reach that height even if he tried with his life on the line.

Vincent thought back in detail. He had jumped up instinctively to complete the block. He did not even try his hardest. From the moment he leaped, to the block, to his feet landing on the ground, the entire movement gave Vincent an oddly comfortable feeling.

It was the same he had gotten when he was younger.

Could it be that the training these past few days have already returned me to the condition I was in when I was younger? Vincent looked at his palms, puzzled. The confidence had already taken bud in his heart.

…

Vincent received the ball, broke through, leaped, and dunked.

He dunked the ball with a man in between him and the basket!

As Vincent reached the highest point in his leap, he felt that his eyesight was parallel to the basket.

Vincent was no stranger to that perspective. In the first ten years of his career, Vincent often enjoyed his eyesight being parallel to the basket.

That day, the 38-year old Vincent once again enjoyed this perspective.

Kuang Tang!

The ball slammed hard into the basket. The entire basketball post shook non-stop.

“Ohhhhhhhh!” The crowd erupted into a roar again. The audience behind the basket was especially loud. They were the ones who directly felt the spectacular visual effect brought about by that powerful slam dunk. They could not help but stand up and make beast-like cheers and roars.

“Oh my God. That was not a slam dunk. He is flying! That slam dunk was worth the ticket price for today!” The commentator rambled on in excitement.

He continued to highlight the magnificent dunk on the big screen in the stadium as well as on the broadcast. A 38-year-old player could still fly up into the air and complete a slam dunk. It was definitely the best highlight of the day.

After only two rounds, however, Vincent made a cut under the basket and immediately completed an alley-oop dunk with both his hands.

A flashy move like that was entirely suitable for a performance move in the slam dunk contest. In a normal game, it might even be meant to provoke the opponent.

At the moment that Vincent completed that move, no one felt that he was provoking his opponent. Everyone ust saw a 38-year-old veteran telling the world that he was still there and he could still play like he did when he was younger. He would still try to fly.

Vincent was still a little unsatisfied. He wanted to fly a few more times!

Just like people described him, he was a player who “played while flying.”

He used to be called “half man, half God.” That night, however, there was no “half man,” there was only “half God!”